U.S. Geological Survey
Statement by U.S. Geological Survey Director Chip Groat
for World Disaster Reduction Day, October 11, 2000
The magnitude 6.7 earthquake that shook Japan on October 5, the strongest to hit Japan since the Kobe earthquake of 1995, serves as a reminder that we live on an active planet.
In the past 12 months, we have seen catastrophic floods and landslides in Venezuela that killed as many as 30,000 people, earthquakes in Turkey, Taiwan, and Indonesia that caused more than 22,000 deaths, volcanic eruptions, floods, droughts, and wildfires. With television images piped into our homes the moment a disaster occurs, we are increasingly aware of how much devastation can be caused through natural events.
Today, October 11, is World Disaster Reduction Day--a day to reflect on the Earth and its role in natural disasters. The geologic record tells us that earthquakes, volcanoes, hurricanes and other natural hazards have occurred since the origin of the planet. However, during past decades the damage caused by natural disasters has increased dramatically for several reasons.
First, more people are living in harm's way. Today, more than half the U.S. population lives within 50 miles of the coast, and the estimated market value of insured coastal properties in Florida alone now exceeds $1 trillion. The great 1926 Miami hurricane cost $76 million in damages; a repeat of that storm today would cost about $80 billion.
Second, more people are living in large cities where complex infrastructure is especially vulnerable to disaster. Rainstorms in New York shut down the subways and the local economy for a day in September 1999; rainstorms and tornadoes in Miami crippled the city on October 3 of this year, closing businesses and schools. The 1994 magnitude 6.7 Northridge earthquake in California was the most costly natural disaster in U.S. history, with losses of more than $40 billion. A major earthquake (magnitude 7.5 or more) could cost more than $100 billion if centered near San Francisco or Los Angeles.
We cannot prevent earthquakes, hurricanes, or other hazards. They are a fundamental part of nature. Natural disasters result from the collision of the man-made environment with natural processes.
So what can we do? There are three ways to reduce our risk. We can stay out of harm's way by choosing to build and live in places that have less risk. We can reduce our vulnerability by building structures and communities that are more resilient. And when we are warned that nature is threatening, we can get out of harm's way safely.
The foundation for all three approaches is sound, objective, accessible science. The USGS, working in every State, is proud to be the leading natural science agency seeking to broaden and integrate our understanding of the physics, geology, biology, hydrology, geomorphology and other aspects of the Earth and the hazards we face. The USGS monitors earthquakes, rivers, volcanoes, wildlife disease, and other potential hazards and transmits real-time information to officials who make life-safety and emergency-response decisions. The USGS maps hazard-prone areas and provides these maps to people who can then make more informed decisions on land use, building design, and other public safety issues. The USGS conducts evaluations after a disaster, to help people and communities prepare for future events.
As we begin the twenty-first century, population growth and continued industrialization and urbanization make the risk of major disasters in this Nation and around the world higher than ever. We can -- we must -- prevent natural hazards from turning into major social and economic disasters.
Working together, we can build safer communities for ourselves and our children.
For more information about USGS work on natural hazards:
Earthquakes
Floods and droughts
Hurricane impacts
Landslides
Volcanoes
West Nile virus
Wildland fires
Wildlife disease
